MD Anderson joins collaboration to develop cancer therapies

A view of the outside of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. (Chronicle File Photo)

Photo: Houston Chronicle

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has entered a three-year partnership with a healthcare business to speed up development of therapies for different cancers.

Germany-based Merck's business arm, EMD Serono, Inc., will utilize MD Anderson's APOLLO patient medical history and tissue sample data for targeted research and clinical trials on types of tumors in breast and colorectal cancers, glioblastoma and leukemia, according to a company statement.

"Our goal when establishing the APOLLO research platform was to enable innovative solutions such as this collaboration between academia and industry to help accelerate clinical advances for the benefit of all cancer patients," MD Anderson President Ronald DePinjo said in a statement.

"This joint effort supports our mission to end cancer by addressing some of the greatest challenges in oncology today," Pinho continued.